Let Summer begin! I welcome the warmer weather, the flip flops, and the ocean swims, but most off all, I will enjoy the abundance of delicious vegetables, so fresh and readily available. Last week at the Farmer’s Market, I found asparagus, radishes, beautiful salad greens, local scallops, so fresh I could eat them with just salt and olive oil. These are the flavors of summer. We are living lighter, on the go, and want easy meals that take advantage of the freshness of local fish and produce. With that in mind, I selected wines that will pair with lighter meals. I did not forget about my grill! Sometimes a char is what we want, and for that, I selected a few heartier reds! In the end, drink what you like, I say, but here are my June picks. 

Value Wines 

2020 Danielle de L’Ainsée Rosé , Val de Loire will help you kick off summer with a light fresh, easy to drink rosé of Cabernet Franc and Malbec (know in the region as Cot). The wine is salmon in color, light and inviting aromas of berry, fresh cut grass, and lemon thyme, and a pleasant brightness on the palate. It is easy, but also has elegance and a wonderful texture, which I think is a result of the grapes and the long slow fermentation. I would enjoy this one with a fresh salad and a piece of grilled halibut served simply with lots of lemon juice and olive oil. 

2020 Anjos Vinho Verde is made on a family owned and operated property in Minho, a region within the Vinho Verde. They use traditional methods and varietals to produce a fresh, easy, aromatic, dry white that is, simply put, a super crushable wine. This is one to enjoy on its own, just get it good & cold, go straight to the beach, do not stop, stretch out on your blanket & enjoy! 

2018 La Maialina Chianti DOCG is a reference to a native pig in Tuscany that is an heirloom breed, originated in Siena in the 1300’s and is the only native Tuscan pig to survive extinction. This is indicative of a family that makes wine that celebrates terroir, culture, and history of the region. The wine is complex and delicious with inviting dark fruit and black cherry aromas, plum and spices, some tomato paste and salami notes with fennel and black pepper. I said complex right? And, the quality far exceeds the attractive price point. You will want a grilled steak with these tannins! 

2018 Chateau Toutigeac Bourdeaux Rouge is a blend of 50% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Franc, and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon. It has a lot going on and will serve you well for you next outdoor grilling, or if you choose to roast something before the weather tells you otherwise. There is some compelling rich dark fruit that is balanced by some lighter bright red currant with just a touch of jamminess on the midpalate that is very satisfying. The earthiness comes on the finish, tobacco leaf, mushroom, and tannins that will soften if you give it some air before you drink it.  

2021 Birichino Malvasia Bianca is a perennial favorite around my shop, and this is the vintage release. The wine is made by two characters, who are larger than life and happen to also make delicious wine. The Malvasia Blanco is one of my favorites, but truth be told, they don’t make a bad wine. This traditional Italian varietal is not often produced in California, but John and Alex are bad asses seeking balance in unique wines and they are good at it. This wine is highly aromatic, exotic fruit, peaches, and nectarines. It has a gorgeous full mouth feel and is full flavored and luscious. Can a wine be baroque? If so, you found it! I like this one with something simple, so it can shine, and it is ideally suited for difficult spring and summer vegetables like asparagus, radishes, spring beets, and early greens that are bright, flavorful, and acidic. 

2018 Owen Roe Lenore is another favorite around these parts, but somehow has evaded the wine club. This new vintage of the 100% Syrah has a stunning deep purple hue and is aromatically enticing with sweet berry notes and lots of fresh plum. That fruit translates onto the palate and is balanced by mouthwatering acidity and sufficient tannins. I love the brambly fruit on this one. It is like a good fruit crumble that has sweet, salty, rich, and acidity in perfect balance. The touch of chocolate that you pick up on will balance nicely with a burger 🍔 ! 

Select Wines 

2021 Sesti Rosato has returned, and I could not be happier. This is a wine that is made in very small amounts, so I get what I can grab and share it with you! Guiseppe and Elisa Setsi, a father and daughter team, make beautiful wines in Montelcino, the home of Brunello, Italy’s famed Sangiovese. The conditions are perfect and the biodynamic approach means that the terroir shines. For me, that means that I can feel the Tuscan sunshine on my skin, taste the chalky dust in the air, and smell the suckling pig roasting on the hillside. In other words, this wine transports me. The color is a pink with an orange hue that bespeaks the blood orange and cantaloupe melon aromas and flavors. The wine is full flavored. This is not a sipping rosé. Enjoy it with a rich pasta fagioli, cheese and charcuterie, or even a richer dish. It can handle a lot, so bring it on. 

2019 Fram Shiraz is a blend of three distinct vineyards around the Swartland and combines three distinct soil types, which results in a complex and well-crafted Shiraz. Thenis Kruger set out to make a full flavored wine with character and freshness, and he did just that. The nose is loaded with blackberry, anise, and rooibos tea, and on the palate add spice like clove and earthiness, structured by fine tannins and black pepper on the finish. The subtle tannins are a result of neutral oak and the grape’s natural proclivity to tannins. It is robust and full bodied, while balanced and approachable. If time allows, make a meaty ragu for this one! 

2020 Lyrarakis Plyto Blanc is a brand new one for the shop and it is a crowd pleasing white with lovely aromatics of white flower and ocean air with citrus and olive. It is no surprise that it come from Greece—you can smell the air. The Lyrarakis family has saved the Plyto grape from extinction when they planted it in Crete. This is a very elegant wine with lean fruit, a laser intensity and a bright minerality. I love the combination of stone fruit and stoney flavors, which for me invokes a dry Riesling. There are some soft tannins that suggest a little skin exposure. This wine can handle a lot of different foods, but I imagine it with pan roasted cod with sauteed greens. 

2012 President Riesling is dry, crisp, and delicious with loads of stone fruit, nectarines, a touch of citrus and jasmine flowers on the nose, and then a lovely long finish of wet stone and oyster shells with a fine chalkiness that is followed by mouthwatering acidity and citrus. This is a new label for the shop, and I am thrilled to have their wines. They are a small producer in California, sourcing from some unique heritage vineyards. These grapes come from the Wirz Vineyard, which has a patch of 60+ year old vines, head trained, and dry farmed on a bed of decomposed granite at about 1000 feet in the northern end of the Gabilan Mountains. (Yes, I had to look on a map for this one!) The climate is warm but alpine like, so the evenings are cool and that allows for a nice long hang time, which results in a complex and wonderful wine. Enjoy this one with an open face mushroom and caramelized onion sandwich with some melted gruyere. 

2019 Zorzal Cuatro Del Cuatro is 100% Graciano, an expressive red varietal which fascinated the wine makers father, Antonio, throughout his life. It is a powerful wine, so be thoughtful about your pairing. It shows restraint rather than brute strength, but it is intense, so needs a food partner that will stand up to it. Think dark cherry, brambly fruit, rich texture of fine tannins and long finish that is bright and berried. I would roast or grill for this one, and lamb would be ideal. 

2020 Dubost Beaujolais-Lantignie is 100% Gamay from the Beaujolais. It is organically and naturally made both in the vineyard and in the winery on a property owned and operated by the Dubost family since 1902. There is a absolutely gorgeous aromatics on this one, ripe berry, violets, and pastry. It has a graceful fruity expression with vibrancy and finesse. I love the tart early summer berry of this wine, that makes me eager for my first local strawberries (patience, I know!). There is a lip-smacking, deliciousness to this wine. Serve it with a chill along with a mélange of grilled summer vegetables! 

Collector Level Wines 

I am always thrilled when I find new wines that belong on my shelves, and this month there are many to be excited about. One of the newbies is Assiduous Wines, a relatively new label from Keegan Mayo, who has been working in the wine biz, making wine for some rockstars since he graduated US Davis Viticulture and Enology Program in 2008. He is ambitious! His mission is to create wines of purpose, that are “savory and that have a sense of place,” considering the unique climate conditions as the determining factor of wine making. Which is to say that less manipulation on the winery means allowing the wines to naturally evolve. His approach results in elegant wines that gain their intensity in flavor rather than body. They have impact because they are complex and well balanced with integrated flavors, acidity, and length, and they are wines that will improve with age.   

In honor of Mother’s Day, last weekend, I decided to make my Mom’s “Cheese Bread,” to share with all of you, and many people asked for the recipe. I am happy to share it with you, but there is a bit of work that you have to do before you decide to make it. The truth is that I have two recipes—the one my mother shared with me and her original. That may seem curious to those of you who did not know her, but to me, it was not such a surprise and it actually brought me a chuckle when this became clear to me.

My mother guarded her recipes very closely. She loved to feed people, and she was an exceptional home cook. Naturally, her recipes had great value to her, as she measured her own self worth by the rave reviews without fail she received from the grateful recipients of her food. I am not sure if anything else brought her greater pleasure. Sharing food was second nature to her, but sharing her recipes was another story. (Did I mention that she was Calabrese?)

Growing up as my mom’s prep cook, I had security clearance. I was sworn in, and this was no joke. She took both my hands and held them close to her chest, as she leaned in and stared directly and sternly into my eyes as if she could read into my soul, as she explained, “I will give you my recipes, but only if you swear you will never share them until I am dead.” There may have been the threat of death in there, but I can’t say she would have needed to speak those words; it was implied by the death grip she had on my hands. I complied, but I thought she was ridiculous. At the time, I was in my late teens, so needless to say, I told this story a lot! That said, I was true to my word, much to the distress of others who imagined I could be persuaded otherwise.

You can imagine my dad’s disappointment when he called me for a cookie recipe for a good customer of his then manufacturing business!

Well, I am not my mother in many ways, but I do love to cook and feed, and I am grateful that she instilled that in me. I am not as good of a cook as she was, but I am happy to share the recipes! One thing I have learned is that no matter how hard I try, my versions are not quite as good as hers. Everyone puts their own distinct touch on a recipe that will make it taste different, and that is the wonderful thing about food. It is that truth that inspires me to try every pizza from here to Naples—and vive la difference!

All of this leads me to the discovery that I had last weekend, which is that my mom actually didn’t give me her recipe for the cheese bread, after all. Well, she gave me a slightly modified version, perhaps to test me, or to ensure that mine was not exactly the same as hers, or perhaps to just to have a little fun with me. (Judy, you never cease to amaze me, and I imagine you giggling about this right now!) Funny enough, it still tasted pretty good. I will give you both, and you can play with it to see which works better for you.

Judy’s Cheese Bread (the recipe that she gave me)

6 Cups AP Flour

6 Cups Grated Romano (I used Parmigiano)

1/2 lb Munster (I used Taleggio)

1 dozen eggs

1/2 Cup Olive Oli

3 Tablespoons Butter melted

1/2 teaspoon salt

1-2 Tablespoons ground pepper (I used 2 heaping)

4 Tablespoons Yeast (I used Fresh Bakers Yeast)

Mix dry ingredients and wet ingredients separately, then combine them. Divide in 3 loaf pans, allow to rise for an hour or two. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes, turn down oven to 350 and bake an additional 20.

Cool slightly before slicing, then enjoy it with a bold red, like this Red Zin from California.

While I was cooking the bread, I called my Dad to tell him what I was doing, knowing that it would making happy to hear. He had recently some across the original, and he read it to me. Needless to say, we had a good laugh remembering my mom.

I learned from a customer that this is, in fact, a traditional Umbrian Easter bread that is called Crescia. The recipes that I found support that, though they are loftier than what I remember. They do confirm that my mom was right about the Pecorino, so try it out and let me know what you think. Either way, call your mom and tell her that you love her and “eat your cheese bread!”